A Duel to the Death
by Wingah
Summary: A man fights death for his life with a Card Game


**Hey! This was a prompt from Writing-Prompt-s on Tumblr! Check 'em out!**

"This is how it works," Death explained. "You pick a game and we play. Cheating _is_ allowed, but if either one of us is caught by the other, they lose. If you win, you'll wake to back in the hospital bed and I'll give you another 10 years. If you lose, then it's your judgement day. Understood?"

I nodded, thinking hard. Games, games, games.. Heh, this sounded like the plot to a Yu-Gi-Oh episode..

 _Wait, that's it!_

"I pick the children's' card game, Yu-Gi-Oh!" A duel disk suddenly appeared on my arm, my deck already in place. A similar contraption spawned out of Death's arm, only looking more bone-like and monstrous. We both got into position.

"DUEL!"

 _Carter: 8000_

 _Death: 8000_

"I'll go first! Draw!" I drew my first card.

 _Carter's Hand:_

 _Magic Cylinder_

 _Dark Magician_

 _Magician of Faith_

 _Swords of Revealing Light_

 _Breaker the Magical Warrior_

 _Kuriboh_

I nodded to myself. This was a really good hand to start with.

"I summon _Breaker the Magical Warrior!_ " I said, slamming the card on my Duel Disk. The red and gold knight appeared in front of me, in a battle position. It gained a Spell Counter, giving it 300 extra attack points.

 _Breaker the Magical Warrior - Dark_

 _Level 4_

 _Spellcaster/Effect:_

" _When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, put 1 Spell_

 _Counter on it (max 1). Increase the ATK of this card by 300_

 _points for each Spell Counter on this card. Also, you can_

 _remove 1 Spell Counter from this card to destroy 1 Spell Card_

 _or Trap Card on the field._

I placed a card facedown, ending my turn.

 _Facedown: Magic Cylinder._

Death seemed to grin, drawing his own card. "I'll start off by placing two cards face down." The two cards appeared on the field.

 _Facedowns: Mirror Force/Trap Hole_

"Next, I'll activate Graceful Charity from my hand."

 _Graceful Charity - Spell_

 _Draw 3 cards from your Deck, then discard any 2 cards from_

 _your hand._

He drew his 3 cards, the hood surrounding his face shrouding him in darkness. He sent two to the Graveyard spot on his Duel Disk.

 _Cards Discarded - Summoned Skull/Giant Soldier of Stone_

"Next, I'll activate a Spell Card from my hand. Go, Monster Reborn!"

 _Monster Reborn - Spell_

 _Special Summon 1 monster from either player's_

 _Graveyard._

 _Aw, crap._ I thought.

Death pulled the Summoned Skull from his deck, placing it on his Duel Disk. The horrific beast towered over me.

 _Summoned Skull - Dark_

 _Level 6_

 _Fiend_

 _[This card is treated as an "Archfiend" card.]_

 _ATK 2500/DEF 1200_

He outstretched his hand towards me.

"Go, Summoned Skull! _Lightning Strike!_ "

It blasted at my Breaker, about to destroy it in a flash of lightning.

"I _don't_ think so! I activate my trap, _Magic Cylinder!_ "

 _Magic Cylinder - Trap_

 _When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the_

 _attacking monster, negate the attack, and if you do, inflict damage_

 _to your opponent equal to its attack._

Two cylinders appeared on the field, one opened towards Summoned Skull, the other aimed at Death. The one opened towards Summoned Skull absorbed it's attack, before the other one aimed the attack right back at Death, slamming into him and deducting Life Points!

 _Carter: 8000_

 _Death: 5500_

I grinned. "Now _that's_ how you play!"

Death nodded in agreement. "That was a good move. I place a face-down card, ending my turn."

 _Face-Down: Trap Jammer_

 _Death's Hand:_

 _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_

 _Heavy Storm_

 _Sangan_

I drew my next card, placing it in my hand.

 _Carter's Hand:_

 _Dark Magician_

 _Magician of Faith_

 _Swords of Revealing Light_

 _Kuriboh_

 _Negate Attack_

I frowned. My options were limited, but I could buy some time.

"I activate _Swords of Revealing Light!_ "

 _Swords of Revealing Light - Spell_

 _Flip all monsters your opponent controls face-up. This card_

 _remains on the field for 3 of your opponent's turns. While this card_

 _is face-up on the field, monsters your opponent controls cannot_

 _declare an attack_

A bead of sweat dripped down my face. "Now, I summon a face-down monster."

 _Face-Down: Magician of Faith._

I grimaced, placing a face-down card. "I end my turn."

 _Face-Down: Negate Attack._

Death simply drew his card. He looked at it, before chuckling to himself.

"I activate the spell card 'Change of Heart'."

 _Shit._

 _Change of Heart - Spell_

 _Select and control 1 opposing monster (regardless of_

 _position) on the field until the end of your turn._

"I'll take your breaker, thank you."

Breaker took his place on Death's side of the field.

"I activate your Breaker's special ability, removing a spell counter to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light."

 _SHIT._

Breaker raised his sword into the air, making it glow, sending out shockwaves and destroying the swords.

Breaker's attack points dropped back down to 1600.

"Now, Breaker, attack his face-down monster!"

Breaker successfully plunged his sword into the card. Magician of Faith appeared, a sword in her chest.

"Not so fast - I activate my Magician of Faith's effect!"

 _Magician of Faith - Light_

 _Level 1_

 _Spellcaster/Effect_

 _FLIP: Add 1 Spell Card from your graveyard to your hand._

 _ATK 300/DEF 400_

"I'll take my Swords of Revealing Light back, thanks."

Death sighed. "Not like it matters. Summoned Skull, _attack!_ "

"I don't think so! I activate my trap, Negate Attack!"

For a second, a portal opened up, and I thought it was going to swallow up Summoned Skull's attack. However, it started sparking with electricity.

"I activated my counter-trap, Trap Jammer."

 _Trap Jammer - Counter Trap_

 _You can only activate this card when your opponent activates_

 _a Trap Card during the Battle Phase. Negate the activation of_

 _the Trap Card and destroy it._

I took a step back as the portal faded, the electricity sparking towards me and striking me directly, forcing me to scream and writhe.

 _Carter: 5500_

"H-Holy.. That.. _Hurt._ "

I stood back up (I didn't even _realize_ I'd keeled over), glaring at Death.

"I'll end my turn. So, Breaker returns to your side of the field."

Breaker walked back over, and I glared at it. I drew my card.

 _Carter's Hand:_

 _Dark Magician_

 _Swords of Revealing Light_

 _Kuriboh_

 _Monster Reborn_

 _That could come in handy. I think I have a plan - I just need a couple of turns._ I thought to myself.

"I'll start off with a move that should look a little familiar; I activate Swords of Revealing Light!"

His Summoned Skull was trapped in the Swords one more time.

"Now, I'll summon Kuriboh."

The little fuzzball appeared on the field. Death seemed very confused.

"I end my turn."

Death drew his card. "I place a card face-down."

 _Face-Down: Raigeki Break_

"And summon Sangan, ending my turn."

 _Sangan - Dark_

 _Level 3_

 _Fiend/Effect_

 _When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Add_

 _1 monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand._

 _Death's Hand:_

 _Red-Eyes Black Dragon_

 _Heavy Storm_

 _Sorry, Death, I'm not stupid._ I thought. I drew my card.

 _Just what I needed._

"I'll start by placing a card face-down."

 _Face-down: Monster Reborn_

"Now, I activate the Spell, _Card Destruction!_ "

 _Card Destruction - Spell_

 _Each Player discards their entire hand, then draws the_

 _same number of cards they discarded._

Death looked concerned. He discarded his two cards and drew two. I discarded my single card and drew.

 _Axe of Despair!_

I placed the card in my hand.

"I'll start off by activating my face-down: Monster Reborn!" The card flipped up. "Now, from my Graveyard, I summon the _Dark Magician!_ "

 _Dark Magician - Dark_

 _Spellcaster_

 _ATK 2500/DEF 2100_

"Now, I'll activate the Spell _Axe of Despair!_ "

 _Axe of Despair - Spell_

 _A monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 1000_

 _points. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard,_

 _if you offer 1 monster on your side of the field as a Tribute:_

 _this card returns to the top of your deck._

The axe appeared in my Magician's hand, making his attack points total up at _3500!_

"Now, I'll attack your Summoned Skull with my Dark Magician! _Black Magic Attack!_ "

Dark Magician lept into the air, about to chop Summoned Skull's skull off with his attack, when he was suddenly stopped.

" _I don't think so._ "

Death had activated his face-down: Mirror Force.

 _Mirror Force - Trap_

 _When an opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy all your_

 _opponent's Attack Position monsters._

 _No. NononononONONO-_

Dark Magician's attack had been absorbed, and now blasted out across my entire side of the field. It destroyed all my monsters, leaving me open. I had no cards in my hand, and the only card on my side of the field was _Swords of Revealing light._

"I.. I end my turn."

Death drew his card.

"I activate a field spell: Mausoleum of the Emperor."

 _Mausoleum of the Emperor - Field Spell_

 _Both players can Normal Summon or Set monsters without_

 _Tribute(s) by paying 1000 Life Points x the number of monsters_

 _needed to Tribute Summon them._

"And I use it's effect to summon _Another Summoned Skull!_ "

"Wait, _what?!_ "

The Mausoleum built itself around us, a Summoned Skull rising from it's depths.

 _Death: 4500_

 _B-But.. How?! That's the exact card he needed!_

"Now, I activate my face-down card: _Raigeki Break!_ "

 _Raigeki Break - Trap_

 _Discard 1 card, then target one card on the field. Destroy it._

 _No. T-This is too perfect. This can't_ _be happening!_

He discarded his card, destroying my Swords of Revealing light. I didn't pay attention to what card he discarded; it didn't matter. I was going to die.

"Sangan, attack his Life Points directly!"

I yelled as it's teeth sank into my arm.

 _Carter: 4500_

 _H-How.. This.. This is working out too well.._

"Summoned Skull.. _LIGHTNING STRIKE!_ "

I writhed in agony as the lightning blasted me, forcing me to collapse to my knees.. I _couldn't_ lose. Something went.. Wrong..

 _Carter: 2000_

 _You can cheat. As long as you don't get caught._

"SUMMONED SKULL, _FINISH HIM OFF!_ "

 _The perfect plays. The equal Life Points. No.. It can't._ I stood up, my legs shaking heavily. I tried to spoke, but it seemed caught in my throat.

The lightning was centimeters away when I yelled it.

" _YOU STACKED YOUR DECK!_ "

The lightning stopped, right about to zap me into nothing.

Death spoke, a light chuckle to his voice. "Heh. Y'know, I was wondering when you would figure it out."

I panted heavily, staring at the lightning still inches from my face. All of it faded, leading me to collapse again.

"Well, you caught me. That's an automatic win. I'll let you go. But remember:

" _ **You only have 10 years.**_ "


End file.
